Happy Tuesday and welcome to my stop on the A Hangman for Ghosts by Andrei Baltakmens blog tour hosted by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours! I have a feature of this intriguing historical mystery and giveaway for you so make sure to read all the way to the bottom to check it out.

A Hangman for Ghosts by Andrei Baltakmens

“We are transported. We are consigned to the ends of the Earth. And we are therefore as good as dead to the realm and its judges. There can be no hope of reprieve…”

Gabriel Carver, the convict hangman of Sydney Prison, knows that none of his kind may depart Australia’s penal colony without the system’s leave. Then three people are murdered, seemingly to protect the “Rats’ Line,” an illicit path to freedom that exists only in the fevered imaginations of transported felons. But why kill to protect something that doesn’t exist?

When an innocent woman from Carver’s past is charged with one of the murders and faces execution at his hands, she threatens to reveal an incriminating secret of his own unless he helps her. So Carver must try to unmask the killer among the convicts, soldiers, sailors, and fallen women roaming 1829 Sydney. If he can find the murderer, he may discover who is defying the system under its very nose. His search will take him back to the scene of his ruin—to London and a past he can never remake nor ever escape, not even at the edge of the world.

“Baltakmens (The Raven’s Seal, 2012), echoing the voices of 19th-century masters like Conrad and Melville, combines adventure and mystery in a high-stakes tale of class, morality, and justice.” –Kirkus Reviews

“With rich historical details that evoke Australia’s early colonial days, this is a wonderful, traditional novel.…Folding in vivid details, bright characters, and compelling dialogue, the story is a page-turner, a savory treat to be devoured.” – Foreward Reviews

About the Author

Andrei Baltakmens was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, of Latvian descent. He has a Ph.D. in English literature, focused on Charles Dickens and Victorian urban mysteries.

His first novel, The Battleship Regal, was published in New Zealand in 1996. His short fiction has appeared in various literary journals, and his first historical mystery, The Raven’s Seal, was published in 2012.

Since 2004, he has lived in Ithaca, New York and Brisbane, Australia, where he recently completed a doctorate in Creative Writing at The University of Queensland. He now lives in Palo Alto, California, with his wife and son, and works for Stanford University as an instructional designer.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of A Hangman for Ghosts! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on January 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

It’s ok, favorite M! Above the synopsis section, the “My Thoughts” section was there, but empty, and I’m sure it confused quite a few people. I’m so glad someone let me know because I had triple checked the post and didn’t see any problems. 😂 I hope you are having a great week! ♥️ xoxo

My aim is to create an extensive portfolio of my writing, from articles, reviews and creative writing etc. I will be covering many different subjects in different contexts from Music, Books, Journalism, Film & TV, Marketing and Creative Writing/Stories.

Pet minder extraordinaire by day. Bookworm by night. I've been an avid reader my whole life, which started in the world's of Harry Potter, Nancy Drew Mysteries, and The Babysitter's Club. I enjoy reading mostly YA Fantasy/Sci-fi, YA Contemporary, New Adult, and Historical Fiction, but am willing to try nearly anything if it sounds interesting! Come travel through worlds and join me on an adventure!